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General Academic Advice
Back to the Pre-Health Advising Homepage Choosing a Major
Summer SchoolTo have the highest GPA possible, some students believe that it is in their best interest to take some of their science courses during the summer. Since the typical professional school curriculum requires students to take 4 - 8 science courses each semester, admissions committees look for students who have demonstrated the ability to handle a heavy academic load, and taking only 1 science class per semester does not typically allow students to sufficiently demonstrate this. If you do take summer classes because of study abroad or other reasons, make sure to take the most rigorous courses possible.
Credit/No Credit OptionsNever take courses that are required for admission to professional school Credit/No Credit; many schools will not accept a course for which you have not earned a grade. (There is a big difference between a 3.7 and a 2.0, but there is no way to tell the difference for a Credit/No Credit course.) If you wish to take an elective course Credit/No Credit, that is fine as long as you use this option sparingly.
Withdrawing from a CourseFor a variety of reasons, withdrawing from a course might be the only option left during a bad semester. As long as the withdrawal is for a legitimate reason, most professional schools will overlook an isolated withdrawal. However, multiple withdrawals are often viewed negatively by admissions committees and are often interpreted as an inability to handle a heavy academic load. Select your course load carefully each semester and utilize the drop-add period during the first few weeks of class to make any necessary adjustments to your schedule. Repeating a CourseSince many professional schools will not accept a grade lower than a 2.0 (C) for a required course, and all prefer significantly higher grades, you may find yourself needing, or wanting, to repeat a course. There are several things to keep in mind if you repeat a course. First, if you repeat a course, make sure you work hard enough to earn a significantly higher grade the second time. (Everyone should be able to earn a little better grade the second time just because the information is not new. A surprising number of students repeat a course and don't bother to attend lecture because "I already have the notes." Take advantage of every opportunity to improve your grade.) Second, it is best to retake the course at the same institution - or at least at one with the same or better academic reputation. Since courses are taught differently at each institution, retaking the course at the same institution demonstrates that you have mastered the same material that you had problems with the first time. Third, make sure you limit the number of courses you need to repeat. A series of repeats can make an admissions committee worry that you will need to repeat many of your professional school courses as well.
Warnings about Advanced Placement (AP) creditStudents often enter college with advanced placement (AP) credit for basic science and other required courses. Generally, if the undergraduate institution accepts the AP credit, then the professional school admissions committee will honor that if the student takes an extra upper-level course in the same department. However, some schools require that students take the courses on a college campus. It is important that you inquire about policies at the individual schools to which you plan to apply. Regardless of each school's policy, it is in your best interest to take upper level courses in the department of your advanced placement credits to show the admissions committees a college course grade in that field (since AP courses do not have grades).
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